The present invention relates generally to improved cervical collars to permit emergency medical personnel to monitor a patient's condition by observation of the neck during transport to a hospital or other health care facility, and afterwards.
The medical literature makes it plain that trauma personnel such as paramedics, nurses, and doctors can gain invaluable information about a patient's condition by viewing the patient's neck, particularly for patients with chest or neck injuries. Of course, such injuries or traumas are the very type of condition which may indicate the use of a cervical collar for protection of the spine and spinal cord, which may be injured, as well. However, the injuries to the patient may include a number of other injuries beyond spinal injuries, and installation of conventional cervical collars block the medical professionals' view of the neck and indicia of one or more of these conditions. For example, various signs of trauma can be seen from an inspection of the neck. These include ecchymosis, a swelling, or hematomas, that may result in airway obstruction. A swelling of the neck may indicate a mediastinal, esophageal, or tracheobronchial injury. In addition, the jugular vein, typically visible from the neck, if distended, may indicate an increased intrathoracic pressure as a result of a tension pneumothorax or pericardial tamponade.